America East Hockey League was a Junior A league that folded in August 2008. The League had teams in the Northeastern region of the United States.
Its stated goal was to develops its players to play on college, Major Junior, and professional teams. America East was also the first Junior League affiliated with the
North American Amateur Hockey Association (NAAHA).
League History
The league formed in 2005 with five member teams for the 2005–2006 season based in the Northeastern United States. The league expanded to 9 teams for the 2006-2007 season with teams based in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the US. The 2007–2008 season saw six teams in the AEHL after a few teams folded and the
Eastern Penn Jr. Bucks announced the team would suspend operations for the season. Following the 2007–08 season the AEHL went through major changes when the
Pennsylvania Enforcers,
Delaware Thunder
The Delaware Thunder are a dormant professional ice hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and based in Delaware. From 2019 to 2023, the team played at the Centre Ice Rink in Harrington, Delaware, but are in the process of evaluating ...
, and
Wooster Oilers
The Wooster Oilers are a junior ice hockey team and member of the United States Premier Hockey League 'Premier' level. The Oilers play home games at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio.
History
The franchise started in 2006 as an expansion ...
left the league to join the new
United Junior Hockey League
The Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL) was an independent regional junior ice hockey league based in Jamestown, New York. The league operated from 2008 to 2010.
History United Junior Hockey League
The United Junior Hockey League (UJHL) was cre ...
. After the three teams left the AEHL soon announced major expansion of the league into
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. In May 2008 the AEHL announced four new teams from
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
joined the AEHL for the upcoming 2008–2009 season.
In August 2008 the league went dark. most of the teams have transferred to other independent Jr. hockey leagues.
2008–2009 Teams
*
Dover Seawolves
The Dover Seawolves were an independent Junior A ice hockey team that played in the America East Hockey League. The team played home games at the Dover Ice Arena in Dover, New Hampshire.
Team history
The Seawolves franchise joined the AEHL for t ...
(2007–present)
*
Eastern Penn Jr. Bucks (2006–present)
*
Harrington College Icebergs
The Harrington College Icebergs are an independent junior hockey, Junior A ice hockey team for players ages 15–20. The team is affiliated with Harrington College of Canada. The Icebergs are members of the America East Hockey League. The team pla ...
(2005–present)
*
Lionel-Groulx Nordiques (
Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec
Sainte-Thérèse is an off-island suburb northwest of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Thérèse-De Blainville Regional County Municipality.
The town is mostly known as a home for heavy industry, but it is also a centre of re ...
) (2008 expansion)
*
Saint Lawrence Lions (
Ste-Foy, Quebec) (2008 expansion)
*
Team Ulysee (
La Plaine, Quebec
La Plaine is an off-island suburb of Montreal, and a formerly incorporated town in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It lies north of Montreal and Laval. It is now part of the city of Terrebonne in the Les Moulins Regional County Municipality. It i ...
(2008 expansion)
* Trois-Rivières (
Trois-Rivières, Quebec) (2008 expansion)
Previous Teams
*
Cleveland Training Development Program (2006–2007)
*
Exeter Seawolves (2005–2007) ''renamed Dover Seawolves (2007-2008)''
*
Long Island Rebels (2006–2008)
*
Springfield Jr. Pics (2005–2006)
*
South Jersey Raptors (2006–2008)
*
New Jersey Ice Hoppers (2005–2007)
*
Norwich Icebreakers (2005–2006)
*
Pennsylvania Enforcers (2007–2008) ''moved to
UJHL''
*
Delaware Thunder
The Delaware Thunder are a dormant professional ice hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and based in Delaware. From 2019 to 2023, the team played at the Centre Ice Rink in Harrington, Delaware, but are in the process of evaluating ...
(2006–2008) ''moved to
UJHL''
*
Wooster Oilers
The Wooster Oilers are a junior ice hockey team and member of the United States Premier Hockey League 'Premier' level. The Oilers play home games at the Alice Noble Ice Arena in Wooster, Ohio.
History
The franchise started in 2006 as an expansion ...
(2006–2008) ''moved to
UJHL''
*
Lowell Raiders (2005–2006)
See also
*
List of ice hockey leagues
This is a list of ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the world; parentheses denote year of establishment and, where applicable, year of disestablishment.
North America Major professional
* National Hockey League (1917 ...
References
Defunct junior ice hockey leagues in the United States
{{icehockey-league-stub